Rex Heuermann set to plead guilty to seven Gilgo Beach murders, ending a 15-year hunt
The 62-year-old Long Island architect is expected to plead guilty to killing seven women over 17 years, a case cracked by DNA from a discarded pizza crust and burner phone records. He faces life without parole.
Rex Heuermann, the Long Island architect charged with murdering seven women whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach, is expected to plead guilty on April 8 in a Riverhead courtroom, according to multiple sources and confirmed by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney's office.
The hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei at the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex. DA Tierney has announced a press conference for Wednesday afternoon to address what he called "a new significant development in the investigation." Heuermann is also expected to admit involvement in an eighth unsolved killing.
A guilty plea means life in prison without parole. It averts a trial that had been set for September.
The victims
Heuermann, 62, is charged with murdering seven women, most of them sex workers, over a 17-year span:
| Victim | Age | Disappeared/Found |
|---|---|---|
| Sandra Costilla | 28 | Remains found 1993 |
| Valerie Mack | 24 | Disappeared 2000 |
| Jessica Taylor | 20 | Disappeared July 2003 |
| Maureen Brainard-Barnes | 25 | Disappeared 2007 |
| Melissa Barthelemy | 24 | Disappeared 2009 |
| Megan Waterman | 22 | Disappeared 2010 |
| Amber Lynn Costello | 27 | Disappeared 2010 |
Remains of six victims were found in scrub brush along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach on Long Island's South Shore. Sandra Costilla's remains were found more than 60 miles away in the Hamptons.
How they caught him
The Gilgo Beach investigation began in late 2010, when the search for a missing woman named Shannan Gilbert led police to discover multiple sets of human remains along the highway. The case went cold for years.
Investigators cracked it in 2023 by revisiting overlooked evidence. The key breaks:
- DNA from a pizza crust. Investigators collected a crust Heuermann discarded in a midtown Manhattan garbage can. Whole genome sequencing matched it to degraded DNA found on victims' remains.
- A green Chevy Avalanche. A witness tip flagged the vehicle registered to Heuermann. A victim's phone last pinged near where the truck was located.
- Burner phones. Prepaid phones linked to victims pinged cellphone towers near Heuermann's home in Massapequa Park and his Manhattan office.
- A planning document. Investigators found a digital document on Heuermann's devices detailing how to kill and avoid detection.
Heuermann was arrested in July 2023 during the evening rush hour in midtown Manhattan. He has been held in solitary confinement — 23 hours a day in protective custody — for nearly three years.
Why a plea
Sources say Heuermann chose to plead guilty "to avoid a trial and all its details, for himself and his family." His ex-wife Asa Ellerup and daughter have denied any knowledge of the crimes.
The plea does not satisfy everyone. Attorney John Ray, who represents some victims' families, warned: "If the full facts do not come out, make no mistake, we are going to pursue this. It's not over."
A victim's son has separately filed a civil lawsuit against Heuermann, Ellerup, and their daughter.
Former Suffolk County Police Chief Rodney Harrison called Heuermann "a demon that walks among us, a predator that ruined families." Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani offered a broader observation: Heuermann "may go down as the last serial murder case in American history because of changes in technology."